5 ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Fan Theories That Actually Make Sense

Yoda told Luke that predicting events of tomorrow are “difficult to see,” even when you’re really good at reaching out through the Force like a boss. “Always in motion is the future,” Yoda warned. And he was right. Even though Luke had seen a future in which Han and Leia were in pain, the context wasn’t made clear, and so, Luke was trapped by Darth Vader. Star Wars fans fall into similar traps, though these are traps we love to leap into. Unlike Luke’s dire misreading of his future, Star Wars fan theories actually embolden fans with new discussions as the release of the next episode draws closer and closer.

For all the criticism about The Force Awakens borrowing from previous Star Wars films, it unpredictably created a slew of new questions, which in turn, created new fan theories. With that in mind, here are five prevalent fan theories, which, if you search your feelings, just might turn out to be true.

5. Luke Skywalker Has Discovered New Ways to Use the Force

In Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine encouraged Anakin to have a “larger view of the Force” because the “dogmatic” Jedi code was limiting. And, even though Palps was really the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, a similar open-minded approach to the Force might happen for Luke Skywalker. In The Last Jedi trailer, he tells Rey that there is “more” than just the light and the dark. This echoes what the mysterious Bendu told Kanan Jarrus on Rebels. There is a way to interact with the Force by being “in the middle.” If Luke has unearthed some old Jedi texts, maybe he’s found new truths about how to interact with the Force.

4. Kylo Ren Is Some Kind of Double-Agent

Everyone knows that Han Solo died at Starkiller Base, but what this fan theory presupposes is: maybe he didn’t? Ever since Han Solo was mercilessly stabbed in the gut by his son Kylo Ren/Ben Solo, fans have wondered if there could be a twist. Did Kylo Ren and Han Solo decide to fake Han’s death? Or, if Kylo Ren did kill Han, did he do it with a long-game in mind? Perhaps he thinks he can conquer Supreme Leader Snoke all on his own in the same way Anakin Skywalker believed that he would eventually overthrow the Emperor and bring peace to the galaxy.

3. Benicio del Toro Stole the Falcon From Han Solo

There are a lot of new characters in The Last Jedi, and the most mysterious is probably Bencio del Toro’s rumored “man in black.” To evoke an old action movie cliché: Who is this guy!? Possible explanations for who this character is and how he fits in have been all over the place. Could he be Boba Fett’s son? Maybe the grown-up, hard-boiled version of Ezra Bridger from Star Wars Rebels? Of all these theories, the newest notion is the best: del Toro is playing a guy named “Ducain,” who stole the Falcon from Han Solo sometime before The Force Awakens. It would also continue the tradition of introducing yet another new retroactive owner of the Millennium Falcon.

2. Rey Is a Clone From Luke Skywalker’s Hand

Straight from the floor of Star Wars Celebration in Orlando, this fan theory deftly allows Rey to be the daughter of Luke Skywalker without, really, actually being the daughter of Luke Skywalker. It sounds a little crazy, but remember that the early drafts of Episode VII opened with a shot of Luke’s severed hand, so clearly the limb was important at one point. The mystery of Rey’s family and lack of coherent backstory could be easily explained if she were a clone derived from the DNA in Luke Skywalker’s hand. Whoever cloned her would have also been in possession of Luke’s old lightsaber, which also has a special connection with Rey, meaning multiple mysteries about her existence could be solved all at the same time. Why is Rey so good with the Force? Maybe the cloning process, like, tripled her midichlorian count.

1. The Movie Will End With Rey Fighting … Luke

It’s already public knowledge that both Mark Hamill and Daisy Ridley had concerns about what happens in The Last Jedi, so much so that they actually voiced their opinions to writer/director Rian Johnson. Hamill even said he initially told Johnson that he “fundamentally disagree with virtually everything” that happens with Luke in the movie. But why? What could be so nuts about this script to cause such a consternation? If The Last Jedi is a true “middle chapter” of the new trilogy, then the movie needs to raise the stakes in some kind of unexpected way. The gold standard here is, of course, Darth Vader revealing he is Luke Skywalker’s father in The Empire Strikes Back, but that’s gonna be hard to top. Still, both Hamill and Ridley have teased that Luke and Rey’s relationship might not be what fans “expect.” Perhaps in the course of The Last Jedi, Rey decides she has to stand up to Luke, resulting in a climactic lightsaber battle between pupil and master.

The Last Jedi will come out in wide release on December 15.